You have two ropes. Both of them take exactly one hour to burn, but do not burn evenly (i.e. they will speed up and slow down the rate of burning). If you are given an unlimited number of matches, how can you denote exactly 45 minutes?
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3 comments:
If I had an unlimited amount of matches, I would figure out how long it took a match to burn and use a whole bunch of those to detonate at 45 minutes.
I would then use the ropes in my newly adopted hobby of lassoing goats.
light one rope from both ends and the middle at the same time and then light the other rope at both ends. the first rope will take 15 minutes to burn and the second will take 30 minutes to burn. if thats right, i want a prize.
I talked to a friend who is good at riddles and he came up with:
You burn one rope for 15 minutes and snuff it out. You now have a rope that will burn exactly 45 more minutes.
The rate at which the rope burns, the infinite matches, and the second rope are all red herrings.
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